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Cytokines
are small molecules, usually proteins or glycoproteins less than 30
kDa that play an essential role in the immune response to infectious
agents. They are, according to Kuby (1997), "the messengers of the
immune system." In this respect, cytokines are sometimes compared to
hormones as a class of molecules. However, they seem to exert their
effects much more locally than hormones. They are usually secreted by T
helper cells or macrophages but are sometimes produced by other types of
cells as well. There are at least over 30 different cytokines that are
grouped together according to which class of molecules they belong. |
